Low Levels of Vitamin D and Birth Control Pills are Linked

IN YOUR DAILY DOSE: today is research from The Endocrine Society which appears to link your vitamin D level with birth control pills.

MAKING CHANGES: It might be difficult to make changes to your daily regimen to improve your health, but these changes are simple and easy to make.

FACT OR FICTION: today is a list of 5 facts about the paper you probably use every day of your life.

In The News

Researchers have found that your vitamin D levels will fall when you stop taking your birth control pills. Actually, the important fact is the estrogen in your birth control pills that affect your vitamin D levels.

Vitamin D is important to your immune system and the development of strong bones and teeth. Without vitamin D you have a higher likelihood of developing osteoporosis as you age. Vitamin D is also important to help your immune system fight off colds, flu and bacterial infections.

During a pregnancy you produce increased amounts of vitamin D to help support your growing baby. As a result you may also risk a vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy. Thus your risk of vitamin D deficiency is increased if you’ve been on birth control prior to trying to get pregnant.

Lead author was quoted in Science Daily, saying:

"Our findings indicate women may run the risk of developing vitamin D deficiency just when they want to become pregnant. For women who are planning to stop using birth control, it is worth taking steps to ensure that vitamin D levels are adequate while trying to conceive and during pregnancy."

Vitamin D is important to absorbing calcium to build strong bones and teeth and to build your immune system. A deficiency has been linked to autism in your new child, increased risk of breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease, depression and weight gain.

Making Changes

You may normalize your vitamin D levels using safe sun exposure. It’s important to never using a tanning bed as these only increase your risk of skin cancer due to the ultraviolet rays they emit.

Stay safe in the sun by exposing your skin before 10am or after 2pm. Stay in the sun only until your skin becomes a light pink color. However, while you are aiming for a light pink, your skin continues to darken after you come inside. Start by sitting in the sun for 10 minutes and gradually work up to a light pink color.

If you choose to use a vitamin D supplement, don’t make the fatal mistake of using vitamin D2. Research links this form of the vitamin with a higher rate of death, as your body doesn’t metabolize and use it correctly. Instead, purchase vitamin D3 from a reputable company and have your vitamin D levels tested once a year.

Daily Affirmation

Deadlines push me to be more efficient.

Working against a deadline helps me to buckle down and move quickly. It allows me to concentrate on what is important. I give the task at hand my undivided attention when I am tied to a timeline.

Fact or Fiction?

Paper

Paper is a part of our everyday lives. Even though much of what we do has moved to digital recording, we still use paper for the sheer pleasure of writing and seeing our efforts. Here are several facts about the paper industry you may find interesting.

1. Every day U.S. paper manufacturers recycle enough paper to fill a 15 mile long train of boxcars.